India, April 9 -- The Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has cleared a Rs.65,000-crore deal to buy 26 Rafale Marine aircraft for the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

The deal is expected to be signed soon, the officials said.

The twin-engine fighters are built for sustained combat operations at sea. In July 2023, India's defence acquisition council (DAC), headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, approved the Indian Navy's proposal to buy 26 Rafale M fighters to sharpen its operational capabilities.

The Rafale procurement will include weapons, simulator, spares, associated ancillary equipment, crew training and logistics sup...